The Italian Race. 42 



appears more or less strongly marked on the legs. The 

 workers have longer ligulas or tongues (Fig. 35, /) than 

 the German race, and their tongues are also a little more 

 hairy. They are also more active, and less inclined to 

 sting. The queen has the entire base of her abdomen, and 

 sometimes nearly the whole of it, orange-yellow. The 

 variation as to amount of color is quite striking. Some- 



FiG. 7. 



Abdomen of Italian Worker^ 



times very dark queens are imported right from the Lig- 

 urian hills, yet all the workers will wear the badge of 

 purity — the three golden bands. 



The drones are quite variable. Sometimes the rings 

 and patches of yellow will be very prominent, then, again, 

 quite indistinct. But the under side of the body is always, 

 so far as I have observed, mainly yellow. 



A variety of our Italian bees which is very beautiful 

 and gentle has the rows of white hairs (Fig. 7, J, K, L, 

 M) unusually distinct, and is being sold in the -United 

 States under the name of Albinos. They are not a distinct 

 race. In fact, I have often noticed among Italians the 

 so-called Albinos. I have tried these so-called Albinos 

 several times, and have not found them superior, or even 

 equal, I think, to the average Italian. 



